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Problems with FTM2012 and new PC

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  • Problems with FTM2012 and new PC

    I hope someone can help me! (By way of background I did this successfully about 3 or 4 years ago with a previous PC replacement). The problem is:

    I have copied and transferred my previous FTM files / trees using the same path names and locations to a new PC running Windows 8.1

    I installed FTM2012 to this new PC

    On launching the program initially, all seemed fine and I was able to locate and open my trees.

    However, on closing the program and reopening when I try to open a tree I get the message "Failed to open file: xxxx.ftm File in use" and cannot open the tree in question.

    I am hoping there is a simple solution: help!

  • #2
    I thought I'd provide an update as I seem to have fixed the problem (and hopefully it will last - I've opened FTM2012 a couple of times and it does, so far anyway, open my trees!). I think things to bear in mind (that may affect others):

    - when one sets up a new PC, the USER name seems to be generated by the operating system and cannot be changed (at least I've found no success in this respect yet) and can be found under c:users. The name generated for me was slightly different to the user name on my last PC, and I seemed to have no control over this.

    - as I wanted to ensure the FTM software and links to my many individual files (e.g. census pages, death certs etc.) could be opened, I copied from my old PC the Family Tree Maker folder (with individual trees) as well as the folders containing the individual files and duplicated this on the new PC USING THE SAME PATH NAMES. This meant the need to create a new USER name that was consistent with the same path as the old PC (but a different USER from that created by the PC operating system)

    - however, this was a mistake for the Family Tree Maker folder as the FTM2012 installation on the new PC created a new folder in the new USER name path. So, it was not until I moved the Family Tree Maker folder from the path under my 'old' user name to that under the 'new' user name did the problem of "failed to open file: xxx.ftm File in use" rectify itself.

    - However, I still have the individual media files under the path that FTM recognises (i.e. my 'old' user name) as each file has the full path name to the individual file (and there seems no easy, or any, way to change this). It works even though the two folders are held under different user names.

    I hope this helps someone and it goes to show that we seem to have to adapt to the machine and not the other way round!!!

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    • #3
      I think you have made it more difficult than it should have been Bertie. When FTM is installed on a computer it automatically creates a folder called Family Tree Maker, within My Documents.
      All you needed to do was to copy the contents of the Family Tree Maker folder from the old machine - into the empty Family Tree Maker folder on the new machine.
      When you then open FTM it would first look in the default folder, in this case Family Tree Maker (within MyDocs) to find your data.

      Bit late with the info ... but hope you are now sorted!
      Elaine







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      • #4
        Thanks Elaine - that is effectively what I have done (although by a slightly longer route! ). I simply thought that once I'd browsed for the trees and opened them in FTM that that would be good enough- obviously not!

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